Training on Leading Multi-Sectoral Coordination for One Health Emergencies

One Health emergencies such as zoonotic disease outbreaks, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and environmental health crises require coordinated action across multiple sectors. Fragmented responses between human health, animal health, and environmental systems often lead to delayed detection, inefficient response, and increased socio-economic impact.

This course equips participants with practical leadership and coordination skills to manage complex, multi-sectoral emergencies using the One Health approach. It integrates principles from the World Health Organization, Food and Agriculture Organization, and World Organisation for Animal Health frameworks, emphasizing collaborative governance, joint risk assessment, and coordinated response systems.

Participants will learn how to design and operationalize coordination platforms, manage cross-sector communication, align stakeholders, and lead integrated emergency responses. The course also covers incident management systems, joint surveillance, data sharing, and crisis decision-making under uncertainty.

Through simulations, case studies, and practical exercises, participants develop the capacity to lead effective, timely, and collaborative responses to One Health emergencies at national and sub-national levels.

Duration

5 Days

Who Should Attend

• Public health emergency managers and coordinators
• Veterinary and animal health officers
• Environmental health and wildlife professionals
• Disaster risk management and civil protection officials
• Policy makers and government planners
• Representatives from NGOs and development partners
• One Health platform coordinators and technical advisors

Individual Impact

• Strengthen leadership skills in multi-sectoral emergency coordination
• Improve ability to manage complex One Health crises
• Enhance communication and stakeholder engagement skills
• Build expertise in joint risk assessment and decision-making
• Increase effectiveness in coordinating cross-sector responses

Organizational Impact

• Strengthen national and sub-national One Health coordination systems
• Improve timeliness and effectiveness of emergency response
• Enhance collaboration across health, agriculture, and environment sectors
• Reduce duplication and improve resource utilization
• Strengthen preparedness for zoonotic and environmental health threats

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Apply the One Health approach to emergency preparedness and response
• Design and operationalize multi-sectoral coordination mechanisms
• Lead joint risk assessments across human, animal, and environmental sectors
• Manage communication and information sharing during crises
• Implement incident management systems for coordinated response
• Align stakeholders and define roles and responsibilities
• Strengthen surveillance integration and data sharing systems
• Manage complex decision-making under uncertainty and pressure

Module 1: Foundations of One Health and Emergency Coordination

• Principles of the One Health approach
• Overview of zoonotic diseases, AMR, and environmental health risks
• Global frameworks and coordination mechanisms
• Roles of human, animal, and environmental health sectors
• Exercise: Map national One Health stakeholders
• Case Study: Coordinated vs fragmented outbreak responses

Module 2: Designing Multi-Sectoral Coordination Mechanisms

• Governance structures for One Health platforms
• Establishing coordination committees and task forces
• Defining roles, responsibilities, and accountability
• Legal and policy frameworks for coordination
• Practical: Design a coordination structure
• Case Study: National One Health platform implementation

Module 3: Joint Risk Assessment and Surveillance Integration

• Principles of joint risk assessment (JRA)
• Integrating surveillance systems across sectors
• Data sharing protocols and interoperability
• Early warning systems and outbreak detection
• Exercise: Conduct a joint risk assessment
• Case Study: Cross-sector surveillance in zoonotic outbreaks

Module 4: Incident Management and Emergency Response Coordination

• Incident Management Systems (IMS) for One Health
• Coordinating field operations and response teams
• Resource allocation and logistics coordination
• Crisis communication and public information management
• Practical: Simulate emergency response coordination
• Case Study: Managing a multi-sector outbreak response

Module 5: Leadership, Communication, and Adaptive Decision-Making

• Leadership in high-pressure, multi-stakeholder environments
• Negotiation and conflict resolution across sectors
• Decision-making under uncertainty and incomplete data
• After-action reviews and continuous improvement
• Capstone Exercise: Develop a One Health emergency coordination plan
• Case Study: Lessons learned from global health emergencies